You Get What You Give
by Bohemian Spitshine
Summary: It's 2099, and the Great War has been going on for ten years. With such a shift in the world, America is in it's 2nd Great Depression. It's almost as if everything has shifted back to how it was 200 years before...and things are looking pretty grim.
1. Introduction

YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE

:Chapter One:

_May 29th, 2099. Kingston City, 14th State, America-_

Many things have changed since the division of the territory. When Tree lost hold of the Upper West Side Girls to Spider, a code was formed; laws laid down for the four groups. If you ask me, it's all bullshit. But as long as it keeps Spider's group out of my territory…I'll survive it. I am a Leader, after all, and I _did _help write the code. The name is Blister; Blister Monnahan, leader of the Lower East Side Girls. Perhaps I should explain more.

Ever since the Great War began ten years ago, so many things have changed. I was Tiffany Monnahan back then in the year 2089. I lived in a big house on the edge of what is now the Upper West Side. My family and I were _very_ well off. I remember my mother, Elizabeth. She was a true beauty, and always wore the finest, most expensive gowns my Father could find. He was a business man, and an inventor. He created version 2.701 of the Robotronic Common Maid. I remember, we had three at our house.

Then there was my brother, Charlie. He enlisted in the Military soon after the war began. He was shipped off to Russia. Three months later…Germany invaded, and bombed the country. My brother was among the thousands killed. It was not long after that the world split in three: the Futurists (those who believe the world needs to be run differently, although they can't seem to decide how), the Separatists (people who believe things should go back to the way they were, and countries should be run separately. This is what America is), and then the Pacifists (the few countries that want nothing to do with the fighting, but still send out troops to keep there borders safe). No country has been spared in the fighting.

Two years into the war, my family lost everything. America was thrown into poverty; a second Great Depression. The government ordered the seizure of all Robotronic workers, as well as all vehicles, to the Military for the metals to be used in weaponry. Life as everyone knew it was over.

My father shot himself when the government took our Robotronics and Cars. I was only 8-years-old. My mother and I were thrown onto the streets. One day, mother just…up and left. I haven't seen her since. The city was in shambles. It was as if we had fallen back in time 200 years. Nothing is the same, and nothing will ever be the same again.

It's been _ten years_ since the start of the Great War, and it still isn't over. Two years ago the land of Australia was completely destroyed. It's only a matter of time before the rest off us go. Life no longer has meaning. We are not living, just…surviving. Waiting for the world to end.

So here I am. No longer Tiffany Monnahan, haven't been that since I was nine. That was when Richard King (A newspaper man, and one of the world's last "Richies") came to town and moved the printing press to the center of the city. All throughout the Great War newspapers have been very important. Nobody has televisions anymore, and the radio towers have all been destroyed. There was a problem, however. Without cars to deliver the papers, how would they get them? That's where we come in, the Newsies. All of us kids, mostly ages six to nineteen, jumped at the chance to make a living selling papes, and not to mention getting free room and breakfast at one of the four Lodging Houses across the city. Mr. King is a man of order, however, and as he is such, he declared that there was to be no more than twenty newsies per Lodging House, and therefore a maximum of 80 newsies in the city. Don't ask me why, but that's how it is.

To make a long story a little be shorter, I was one of the lucky 80, and I got a spot in the Lower East Side. Many newsies have come and gone since then. For the most part things have been really peaceful between the four groups: The Upper West Side (UWS), the Lower West Side (LWS), the Upper East Side (UES), and the Lower East Side (LES). But at the beginning of this year, all that changed.

See, for each of the four Lodging Houses there are two leaders, a boy and a girl. I'm the Girls Leader of the LES, and the Boys Leader is my good buddy Backstab. For the UES its Blackeye and Reaper, the LWS Slingshot and Dodger, and for the UWS it's Spider (unfortunately) and Blaze (also rather unfortunate).

----- -----

Suddenly, Blister heard the creaks and thumps of someone walking down the hallway. She dropped the tape recorder in her lap, frightened. Quickly, she searched with bony hands the thin pockets of her pants, pulling out a faded watch. It had once been bright purple, with smiling yellow happy faces on the band, however they were now scraped and more like mouthless heads, just staring up eerily from the plastic watch. It was 1:00 A.M., the time Mr. Parker (the "guardian" of the Lodging House) always peeked in the rooms to make sure everyone was attended for.

She heard the door across the hall slowly groan shut. Once more, heavy foot steps on the creaky wooden floor. In a panic Blister shoved the watch back into the pocket of her pants, then held the tape recorder up to her mouth once more.

----- -----

I have to go now. I forgot to mention, tape recorders are illegal now…shit!

----- -----

Blister pressed hard on the red stop button and then, hearing Mr. Parker's hand turn the doorknob, threw herself on top of the tape recorder, stomach down. Mr. Parker squeaked open the door as quietly as possible and took a quick look around the room. Counting the four sleeping girls, he nodded to himself and then slowly pulled the door shut.

After hearing the creaky, thumping footsteps heading away from the door, Blister flipped back over, sweating a bit from such a close call. She looked down at the tape recorder, pressed play, and continued in her whispers.

----- -----

Freaking hell,that was a close one!


	2. The Code

Blister's mouth opened in a wide yawn. She was tired, but the only time she could record was night. She paused for a moment and glanced around the room; she didn't have to, the snores of her friends assured her of their sleep. Carefully, Blister sat up and reached down beneath her bed. Her hand grazed the floor blindly until it bumped against a small Scooby Doo lunch box that, as the watch was, had considerably faded. She opened it up and grabbed a small black journal.

----- -----

Okay. So, the code. Things have been...different, since this bullshit code. But like I said, long as it keeps Spider out of my territory; well, here it is.

----- -----

Blister read from the paper in quick, harsh whispers.

**THE NEWSIES CODE**

No one shall cross the sides (Lower or Upper) during selling time (6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.).

No one shall cross into their opposite (East or West) during selling time.

If one crosses into their opposite during selling time, a peaceful surrendering of all papers and all money must occur before one returns to their rightful territory or the safe zone.

If one crosses sides during selling time, a surrendering of all papers and all money must occur and severe punishment may be used before one returns to their territory or the safe zone.

No newsie shall soak another member of their rightful side (except in the case of a Violent Overthrow of Leadership).

When one or more newsies takes on a leader in fight and wins, a Violent Overthrow has occurred. The winner of the fight is the new Leader.

When the majority of a group decides to switch faithfulness from their leader to another newsie, a Silent Overthrow has occurred. The newsie becomes the new Leader.

A Leader may also choose to sacrifice his/her position and set it upon another newsie.

If for some reason a Leader is unable to lead, the next in command will become the new Leader.

There will be **no** violence between any newsie in the Safe Zone.

Violating peace in the Safe Zone is punishable by a severe soaking and probable banishment from the Newsie community.

Only Leaders are allowed to declare Rivalry.

When Rivalry is declared, there is to be **no** communication between the two or more groups of newsies (aside from the Leaders and their seconds) until the Rivalry has been undeclared (resolved).

Crossing into a Rival group's territory at **any** time of day (with the exception of the Leaders and their Seconds) is strictly forbidden.

Relations outside one's group are not recommended.

Relations between members of Rival groups are **strictly forbidden**.

----- -----

And that's it.

----- -----

Blister clicked the red stop button and the tape went quiet.


End file.
